The present invention refers to a device for embossing and/or satinizing flat materials, more particularly packaging foils, and to packaging foils produced with the device. A device of this kind is e.g. known from EP-B-925 911 to the applicant of the present invention. The device for satinizing a foil disclosed in this reference, which is based on the knowledge from earlier patents of the same applicant, comprises two embossing rolls that are arranged in a mutually displaceable manner such that a self-stabilizing effect is obtained when the teeth of the embossing rolls interpenetrate, thereby providing a high processing speed, on one hand, and a high precision, on the other hand. First of all, this allows a uniform satinizing, and with a corresponding machining of the teeth, a highly precise embossing of foils is provided.
EP-A2-0 194 042 discloses an embossed object on the substrate of which first and second optically non-diffractive relief elements defining first and second patterns are embossed, the patterns having a uniform reflectivity and their appearance varying with the viewing angle. The specification discloses line patterns only, and no satinizing is intended.
This advanced prior art with regard to the quality of the embossing and satinizing has led to the desire and the need and thus to the object of the present invention to provide an embossing device that allows to emboss the flat material with signs including optical effects depending on the viewing position and/or the light source, thereby also allowing to produce security features that are very difficult to copy. In addition to the sign, the packaging foil produced in the device should also be satinized.